Engine valve



Au 24, 1937. M, MMDQNALD 2 ,090,&00

ENGINE VALVE Fild July 21, 1956 FIG. 1-

INVENTOR CHARLES M. MAc. DONALD BY A TTORNEYS Patented Aug. 24, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFIE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to valves and in particular to exhaust and intake valves for internal combustion engines.

It is an object of this invention to provide a valve for internal combustion engines, which is suitable for use at all internal combustion temperatures and fuels.

It is a further object of this invention to provide means of elimination of imperfect valve seating and the insuring of perfect seating of internal combustion engine valves at all times.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a valve for internal combustion engines having equal expansion throughout, which can withstand extreme heat without burning and/or warping.

It is a further object of this invention to provide in such a valve a hollow head adapted to uniformly dissipate heat whereby to entirely eliminate warping and/or burning and to reduce necessity for valve grinding to a minimum.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a valve which may be utilized in internal combustion engines of various kinds and types 35 and which may be operated by any tappet connections which may be available.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a valve which will greatly reduce the operating temperature of an internal combustion engine.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a valve which will eliminate loss of compression regardless of the valve temperature whereby to materially increase the engine efliciency and reduce the cost of operation.

These and other advantages will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawing.

In the drawing:

The figure is an end elevational view in section of my invention as applied to a typical internal combustion engine structure, with parts of the engine structure broken away.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the internal combustion engine is generally designated I and has a combustion chamber 2 and spark plug 3 and exhaust port 4 and exhaust manifold 5. A suitable valve guide 6 is provided, as is usual, and the usual valve push rod assembly, generally designated 1, is attached in a known manner to the stem of the valve, as illustrated.

This valve which is illustrative of the principles of my invention is shown as applied to an engine exhaust port, although it is to be clearly understood that the uses and advantages thereof extend also to its use as an intake valve. The valve comprises a spherical head 8 and an integrally formed cylindrical stem 9.

The spherical head 8 is provided with a spherical hollow portion it, from which the cylindrical passage ii leads to the lower end of the valve stem. The extreme lower end of the valve stem is provided with a suitable cross bore 52 to accommodate known means of connection for the valve and the valve push rod 1. The stem is 10 also provided with suitable ventilating apertures M which may be of varying sizes and shapes. These ventilating apertures M are in communication with the chamber I5 which is preferably provided with a low pressure inlet 96 which may 15 be, if desired, provided with a suitable scoop for receiving air under low pressure from the fan of the vehicle.

Due to the spherical construction of the head, the expansion and contraction thereof is entirely uniform and the valve will seat upon the valve seat I'l, regardless of the expansion and contraction thereof, whereby to prevent faulty seating under high temperatures of operation. In addition to the increase in heat dissipating surface provided by the spherical construction of the head, additional cooling of the valve is accomplished by the hollow spherical portion 10 which is provided with air under low pressure, supplied by the inlet E6 to the chamber l5 and thence through the ventilating apertures M and the passage H to the hollow portion ll] of the valve. The reciprocation of the valve during operation creates an alternate compressive and suction effect whereby to circulate the air in the passage 35 II and the hollow portion H] of the valve.

As all of the valves in the conventional internal combustion engine have the end portions of their stems in communication with the chamber 15, the same procedure may be followed in 40 equipping each valve port, both intake and exhaust, with the construction of my invention. The necessity for the application of my invention is, however, greatest with respect to the exhaust ports because of the fact that the greater amount 45 of warping, burning and faulty seating generally occurs in the exhaust valves due to the fact that the temperature of the exhaust gases is extremely high. This fact has been responsible for the use of tungsten and other alloy inserts in the 50 exhaust ports of late automotive engines.

The pressure of the air supplied by the inlet 16 to the chamber l5 may be varied as desired and will preferably be of relatively slight value,

' because it will not be desired that leakage shall 55 occur between the stem portion 9 of the Valve and the valve guide 6. As will be clearly under stood, the spherical surface will wear at a much slighter rate than would the normal seat engaging surface of the known mushroom type valve. Any suitable outlet (not shown) for the chamber l5 may be provided.

Due to the reduction in temperature achieved by the use of a valve constructed according to the principles of my invention, I may use metals and alloys having higher heat conductivity, though lower melting points than the materials hitherto used. In addition to providing additional cooling surface, the top portion of the valve provides ultimate rigidity in the head of the valve, while at the same time making possible the achievement of uniform expansion thereof.

It is to be noted that the weight of a complete valve made according to the principles of my invention is substantially the same or less than that of a valve of conventional construction. The increased weight of the head portion of my valve is offset by reduction in the weight of the stem thereof. Thus the moving metal in an engine equipped with valves constructed according to the principles of my invention is no greater, and is sometimes less, than in a like engine equipped with conventional valves.

In equipping, with my valves, engines not provided with cooling fans, I comprehend the achievement of substantially the same mode of operation as has been described above by the connection of the inlet I6 to the inlet of the carburetor of the engine. Thus, air drawn into the engine carburetor will have first passed through the chamber l5 and a part thereof through the passage l l and hollow spherical portion In of the valve. In addition to cooling the valve, this air becomes preheated and thus increases the efficiency of the combustion of the engine.

In equipping Diesel and other such engines wherein no carburetor is available, a separate engine driven pump will be used to supply air under low pressure to the valve of my invention.

It will be understood that the above described structure is merely illustrative of one manner in which my invention may be carried out and that I desire to comprehend within my invention such modifications as come within the scope of the claims and the invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An engine valve comprising a hollow spherical head having an integrally formed hollow stem.

2. An. engine valve comprising a spherical head and an integrally formed stem, said head having a hollow spherical chamber therein and said .stem having a passageway therein adapted to supply cooling air to said chamber.

3. An engine valve comprising a hollow spherical head of. uniform thickness having an integrally formed stem, said stem being provided with a concentric air passageway in communication with the hollow chamber in said head and being equipped adjacent the end of the stem with a plurality of ventilating apertures in communication with an air supply.

4. In an internal combustion engine, a valve having a spherical hollow head of uniform thickness and an integral stem in communication with a chamber, means of communication between the interior of said hollow head and said chamber, and means for supplying air at low pressure to said chamber.

5. In an internal combustion engine having a cooling fan, means for supplying cooling air from said fan to an exhaust valve comprising an inlet adapted to supply air from said fan to a chamber, an. exhaust valve in said engine having a hollow spherical head and a hollow stem in communication with said chamber.

6. In an internal combustion engine having a fan, means for supplying air from said fan under low pressure to a chamber in said engine, and a hollow valve having a hollow spherical head and an integral stem in communication with said chamber, said stern having an axial passageway in communication with the interior of said hollow spherical head and having a plurality of radially di-sposed ventilating apertures in communication with said axial passageway and said chamber.

CHARLES M. MACDONALD. 

